South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-07-15
A LEIGH POND.
Leeches arc Cultivated
for Business Purposes.

Where Leeches arc Cultivated
for Business Purposes.
Facts About Leechss and Their Uss BY
Doctom
Ono Of the largest lcech ponds in the
world Is situated at Newtown. l.. L.
says the Brooklyn Eagle. It was for
mcrly operated by German, who. hav-
ing connections in Franc,. imported
hundreds of thousands of lecches annu-
ally. The farm in its entirety measure,
IL acres. visited the spot ono day last
week. but found that while a few wears
ago 1909 lccches dag we're sold from
there, less than 100 arc now disposed of.
Various reasons are given for this great
falling off. An aged German woman.
wife Of the proprietor, with whom 1
talked. stated that the weather of the
past few winters had been too severe for
the proper cultivation of leechcs. Many
oil the ponds are situated on the left Of
the railroad track going north, be; wcen
Newton and Winfield. They are thus
exposed to the wind aud the rising Of
the tide OF Bowery bay. SILT water,
which is destructive to the life OF a
icech, is forced from the bay 10 the
ponds.
Inc American lccch is absolutely
worthless for medical purposes. 1t is,
black and poor bitter or the foreign
leechcs, those imported from France aud
hungary are preferred. The body Of
the American leech is less than one third
the s'z' OF the imported. The latter is
spindle shaped and flattenei so rs to b,
eliipticai. 1t is somewhat pointed in front.
| except when the mouth is in action. Elk.
tcrnally the body is covered with n thin
perforated cuticlc. This cut Gle or coat is
she'd Mt intervals. The bottom of the
lecch ponds ut Ncwtown is composed of
clay with margins OF peat. In the latter,
the cocoons, orcggs, arc deposited about
the middle Of June. Musk and water
rats are enemies of the lcecb, aud cxter-
inmate many of their young. When the
ponds at Newtown were fully stocked.
cows were employed to feed the Ieechcs.
These unwilling brutcs were driven into
the water at stated intervals, much to their
annoyanc e. At times ii became neccs-
sury to tie the cows for fear they would
escape. Lcechcs arc also fed by having
linen bags full of fresh blood suspended
In the water. Adult lceches, unless
they are specially meant for breeding
purposes, are fed every six months.
DIR. j. G.. johnson informed M re-
Gently that lccches were now seldom
used for medical purposes. Less than
aqnartcr of century ago, he said, mil
hons on millions OF them were used in
this country and abroad, bu,, like cum
ping. the practice has fallcn into disusc.
In Dr.. Johnson's opinion lcech should
be used but once. When used on two
or more persons it is apt to carry con-
taSlous disease, in case either OF them
was so affected. The leech is only of
service in local blood letting. Lecches
which have been generously fed are of
but little use. They may be made TO
bite, however, by smearing the skin
with cream or blood, or by immersinp
them for minute in porter or tcpid
water Each fills in about one minute.
and draws about half an ounce of blood.
! 1t is a well known fact that the CON
sumption OF ccches has fallen immensely
the last 30 gears. 1000, 600 of them
being used in 1916 in France alone. In
1868 1000, 900 were used in London.
and about the same quantity in Paris.
L@eohes can be preserved in ure water
Tor years. In transporting them from
the French domestic marsh vessel
with small perforations and filled with
moist, turfy earth oil. peat, made into
stiff mud, is used
"The trade in leechcs has almost died
cut, y said local druggist to me. "Of
course we have to keep them, but it
really does not pay us for the trouble
taken. Good imported lccchcs arc
worth % cents piece. have seen rs
many as 30 on ono person. In local
! application they arc much better than
Bleeding. They arc also uscl by pugil-
lists to take down swclliugs"